USDA grant supports SFI study of science-related belief change

Cornfields in Ohio, courtesy Travis Essinger, Unsplash

May 17, 2018

The divide between scientific understanding and public belief can be remarkably large. A 2015 Pew Research Center poll, for instance, shows that, while most scientists judge genetically modified crops to be safe for humans to eat, only 37 percent of the American public agrees. When misinformation about scientific issues takes root in society, it can be very difficult to shift public perception, especially when false information aligns with people’s moral values.

“Genetic modifications of agricultural crops can be an important way to meet the challenges of a warming climate and growing human population,” says Galesic. “However, public distrust of GMOs has hampered application of these promising technologies.”

The two-year project has three main objectives. First, Galesic and her collaborators plan to develop a theoretical framework that can model the complex social-cognitive processes at play as people form their beliefs about GM crops. Then, they will use that model to identify different factors most likely to lead to a shift in those beliefs. Finally, they’ll test those predictions in a national experimental study.

“Our preliminary studies show that a single friend can have a stronger impact on one’s science-related beliefs than a large group of scientists,” says Galesic. “However, science education efforts have so far mostly relied on communicating facts from scientists to individuals. We believe that it could be more important to encourage communication of scientific facts within groups of friends.”